Writer: Various
Artist: Various

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), for those who are unaware, is a non-profit organisation set up to protect the first amendment right (that’s the freedom of speech one, yo) of comic creators, publishers and retailers. Every year, they put together an anthology of short stories and strips from creators who support the cause, and this year’s edition features a wide variety of strips designed to get the reader thinking about the issues the CBLDF was set up to address.

The stories in the anthology cover a wide variety of genres, from Westerns to ‘Tales of the Crypt’ style horror stories, to special editions of existing comics like Hoax Hunters and Hack/Slash. Thankfully however, the material in the book strays away from being too preachy (although a few of the strips manage to lose sight of their own individual stories in favour of hammering home the point the message that the writer is trying to get across).

As with any anthology, the content is a little hit-and-miss, although there are some genuinely excellent stories collected here (with the hilarious Hack/Slash strip being my personal highlight). And while some of the messages about censorship and editorial meddling may be a little ‘on the nose’ for my tastes, there’s no denying that there’s a worthwhile message within these pages.

Well worth a look, and a worthy cause that deserves your support.

Rating: 7.5/10.

The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson (aka Ceej)
Article Archive: Ceej Says